James I of Cyprus

James I of Cyprus (1334-9 September 1398) was King of Cyprus from 13 October 1382 to 9 September 1398, succeeding Peter II of Cyprus and preceding Janus of Cyprus.

Biography
James was the third son of Hugh IV of Cyprus and Alix of Ibelin, and he was the brother of Peter I of Cyprus. When Peter was murdered, his infant son Peter II of Cyprus became king, and Peter I's wife Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Cyprus invited the Republic of Genoa to invade Cyprus to avenge her husband's assassination. In April 1373, the Genoese invaded the island and massacred the murderers of Peter I, but the Genoese arrested Eleanor and Peter II and sought to take control of the island. James was made Constable of the Kingdom of Cyprus in response to the Genoese invasion, and he held Kyrenia against an attack by the Genoese. However, he was captured on the island of Rhodes while seeking help against the Genoese, and he was held as a hostage in Genoa until 1385. On 13 October 1382, he had become King of Cyprus, but he was not crowned until 1385, when he used high taxes to collect enough money to pay his ransom. In 1389, he was crowned the titular King of Jerusalem, and Leo VI of Armenia's death in 1393 led to him also becoming King of Armenia. He died in 1398, and his son Janus succeeded him.